About

The Peace Agency Documentary Kickstarter Campaign!

$10,804

pledged of $10,000 goal

184

backers

Welcome to our Kickstarter campaign! I'm delighted to have you here. Take a second to watch the video and read more about the film and awesome rewards we have in store! Kickstarter is an all or nothing funding platform, so if we don't make it to 100% of our goal by April 27th, the project will not be funded. If you are new to Kickstarter you can learn more HERE.

What is the project?

The Peace Agency is a character and dialogue-driven story about an
extraordinary woman, her school, and her students and graduates in the city of
Poso, Indonesia, an area that is recovering from a fierce Muslim-Christian fighting.
The school transforms its all‑female class into agents of peaceful change and
gender equality. The students, many of whom have been victims of violence, trauma,
and rape, learn how to fight for women’s rights and reduce abuse in a country
where women are still often regarded as second-class citizens. Many of the graduates
devote their lives to community service to ensure that women will be respected
and treated as full citizens of the community.

The documentary features the
school’s charismatic leader, the exceptional and diminutive Lian Gogali. She is
a single mother, living in poverty, unable to walk after a car accident crushed
her leg. A force of nature, Lian is the founder and leader of a school that is
helping to redefine the future of Poso.

Why are you making the film?

This film transforms the issue of women and peace movements
in the developing world from an abstract concept into a comprehensive and
moving account through the eyes of one courageous and inspiring woman. It
offers insightful ideas about the future of Christian-Muslims relations while
alerting audiences to the challenges, disparities, and sometimes violence that
women face worldwide. It seeks to provide viewers with the tools to reduce
religious conflict and build human rights in their own communities. It is a
story intended to foster more peaceful and just societies around the world
through a graphic account of one who has already gone down that path.

Who is Lian Gogali? What does she do?

Lian Gogali, the winner of the Coexist Prize, was born in a tiny village in rural Poso, Sulawesi. She made
herself a serious student and managed to leave the island and
eventually complete her Master's Degree. During the conflict in Poso,
Lian came to live in the internally displaced camps with women and
children and from her experiences there wrote a book about the effects
of violence on women and children. She returned to Poso after completing
her degree, with a newborn baby in tow, with a dream of setting up a
school for these women and children she had researched about. Against all odds, with only passion and conviction driving her, she set up a school in 14 villages for impoverished women to teach them about peace, justice, and their civil rights. These woman are now transforming themselves from being housewives and farmers into powerful agents of peace and change in their villages and communities. We've captured it all!

What will my money be used for?

$10,000 goes a really long way in Indonesia. We have almost finished filming, but we need money for translating the large amounts of dialogue that was filmed, animation which will help reveal the story, and editing costs to make this into the beautiful 80 minute documentary it deserves to be.

Who will see this film?

The documentary brings a diverse set of issues into a story
that should attract a range of audiences. We anticipate that prospective
viewers will include those who are interested in finding solutions to today’s
most pressing problems. We plan to target community organizers, nonfiction viewers,
women’s rights activists and sympathizers, university/college classes and
libraries, and disability rights groups, as well as those with an interest in
Asia and Indonesia, interfaith movements, and peace and conflict studies.

In order to address the needs of these audiences, outreach
campaigns have already started, especially with university professors, peace
and conflict advocacy communities, and women’s groups. We have also been building mutually
beneficial relationships with grassroots NGOs in other areas of the world that
are affected by communal conflict or terrorism. By agreement with those NGOs,
they will help promote about the film in their own constituencies. In return, we
will give them free copies of the film, posters, and screening kits for showing
the film. We have also started building
similar relationships with major international NGOs that have even broader
reach.

What if I want to give a tax-deductible donation instead?

If you would like to make a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation instead, you can do that too! The Peace Agency is fiscally sponsored by Docs In Progress®,
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to empowering independent
documentary filmmakers and educating the public about documentary as an
art form. You will still receive a THANK YOU on our website, film, and IMDB.com page and a thank you postcard written by Sue.

Will $10,000 be enough for you to finish the film?

Alas, it will not. The expensive part of film making comes at the end, when you are editing, mixing, and preparing it for broadcast. What this money will be used for is to complete a stunning and compelling rough cut (kind of like a rough draft) that we can show to possible funders or investors who won't be able to turn away from it! But no matter what, this film will be made.

How do I use Kickstarter?

If you decide to make a pledge, your credit card will be charged when my project reaches its funding deadline date on April 27, 2012, but only if the project is fully funded. It's an all or nothing situation -- if the project is not fully funded, your credit card is not charged, and we do not receive any donations.

To pledge to this project, click the green “Back This Project” button on the upper right side of the page. You will be asked to enter your pledge amount. From there, you will go through the Amazon checkout process. Note that you must finish the Amazon checkout process for your pledge to be recorded. Kickstarter only supports credit card payments through Amazon Payments. No cash or checks.

I'm not American, can I donate too?

Yes you can! Anyone with a major credit card can donate.

If I give $5,000 do I really get to ride an elephant in Bali?

Yes, he is ready and waiting for you to hop on! And don't worry, all the elephants have been rescued from the Sumatran jungles and are currently in rehabilitation in Bali. No animal abuse, promise!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

GRAND KOMODO REWARD: You get a beautiful handmade sarong from Sulawesi, a copy of the book "People Building Peace 2.0" from the Peace Portal, and a private meeting or Skype conversation with director Sue Useem! Plus all of the above.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

ORANGUTAN AWARD: You get A WEEK IN A BALINESE VILLA FOR TWO! PLUS you get Associate Producer Credits on the film, see your name on the big screen, tickets to the opening night, and unending gratitude. Plus all of the above. This one is awesome!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $5,000 or more
About $5,000

WISE ELEPHANT AWARD: You get all of the above PLUS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CREDITS, and a private tour of Bali which includes activities such as: Volcano climbing, Elephant Safari, Whitewater Rafting, Snorkeling, Surfing classes, etc.